title: Developmental changes affecting lectin binding in the vomeronasal organ of domestic pigs, Sus scrofa.
abstract: This study investigated the developmental changes of glycoconjugate patterns in the porcine vomeronasal organs (VNOs) and associated glands (Jacobson's glands) from prenatal (9 weeks of gestation) and postnatal (2 days after birth) to the sexually mature stage (6 months old). The VNO of pigs (Sus scrofa) was examined using the following: Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA), Bandeiraea simplicifolia agglutinin isolectin B4 (BSI-B4), Triticum vulgaris agglutinin (WGA), Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEA-I), and soybean agglutinin (SBA). At the fetal stage, all lectins examined were detected mainly in the free border of the vomeronasal epithelium, but few (WGA and UEA-I) and or absent in the VNO cell bodies. At the postnatal and sexually mature stages, the reactivity of some lectins, including WGA, UEA-I, DBA and SBA, were shown to increase in the VNO sensory epithelium as well as the free border. The increased reactivity of lectins as development progressed was also observed in Jacobson's gland acini. These findings suggest that binding sites of lectins, including those of WGA, UEA-I, DBA, and SBA, increase during development from fetal to postnatal growth, possibly contributing to the increased ability of chemoreception in the pig.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Jeju National University, South Korea.
authors.forename: Junwoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Wonho
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chanwoo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Hwangryong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Taekyun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019147:Vomeronasal Organ / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D037102:Lectins